Missouri  Bankers  Association 


Appeal 

FOR 

Production  and  Conservation 

OF 

War  Foods 


COMMITTEE  ON   AGRICULTURAL  AND  GOOD 
ROADS  DEVELOPMENT 


F    B    BRADY.  CHAIRMAN 

GEO  MCCANSE 

W.  J.  MCOEE 

J.  E  SMITH 

D  NEAN  STAFFORD 


TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE 
MISSOURI  BANKERS  ASSOCIATION: 


The  cry  has  gone  out  from  the  Departments  of  Agriculture  and 
from  those  in  authority  at  Washington  for  every  business  and  for  every 
loyal  citizen  to  produce,  economize,  and  conserve  the  resources  that 
are  incident  to  winning  the  war.  We  bankers  are  vitally  interested 
in  helping  in  every  way  possible  the  cause  of  food  production,  and 
in  order  that  we  may  all  work  together  in  heeding  the  call  of  those 
in  authority  and  of  those  who  know,  this  appeal  is  made. 

ONE  MORE  ANIMAL  ON  EACH  FARM  MEANS  MILLIONS. 

It  is  imperative  that  we  give  attention  to  pure  seed,  and  that  we 
urge  every  tillable  acre  to  do  its  part  in  raising  food  and  feed  stuff. 
It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  our  meat  production  be  increased.  We 
can  easily  relieve  this  situation  if  each  will  help  a  little.  It  is  con- 
servatively estimated  that  if  every  farmer  in  our  state  alone  would 
raise  one  more  calf  it  would  bring  an  income  in  ten  months  of  $6,976,- 
200.00  to  them  and  at  the  same  time  do  a  great  service  in  the  matter 
of  food  production.  Add  to  this  the  increase  of  one  more  pig  and 
one  more  sheep  and  this  amount  will  be  more  than  doubled. 

MEAT  FAMINE. 

We  recently  received  a  letter  from  one  in  authority  who  stated 
that  there  was  a  likelihood  of  famine  in  meats  and  urged  the  adoption 
of  most  stringent  measures  to  prevent  such  a  condition.  One  of  the 
bulletins  sent  out  from  the  Department  at  Washington  is  authority 
for  the  statement  that  since  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  European 
supply  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  hogs  has  diminished  115,000,000  head 
and  the  depletion  still  goes  on.  It  is  estimated  that  it  will  take 
twenty-five  years  to  replenish  this  loss.  We  should  at  this  time  and 
at  all  times  deplore  the  sacrificing  of  animals  half  fatted,  and  the 
selling  of  females.  We  should  encourage  the  breeding  of  these  ani- 
mals for  increased  production.  Since  our  government  has  pledged  a 
fair  and  profitable  price  for  all  our  increase  of  cattle,  sheep,  and 
hogs,  there  is  no  good  and  sufficient  reason  why  we  should  not  heed 
its  appeal  for  greater  meat  production. 

PORK  PRODUCTION. 

The  following  excerpts  are  taken  from  a  letter  written  by  Joseph 
Hirsch,  Chairman  of  the  Agricultural  Commission  of  the  American 
Bankers  Association.  This  message  was  sent  to  us  through  our  State 
Association.  Many  things  he  states  in  this  letter  about  the  produc- 
tion of  hogs  can  be  applied  with  emphasis  to  the  production  of  cattle 
and  sheep : 


"The  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  and  the 
U.  S.  Food  Administration  concur  in  the  opinion  that 
through  pork  production  meat  supplies  can  be  in- 
creased faster  and  more  profitably  than  in  any  other 
way.  There  should  be  a  national  increase  in  the 
number  of  sows  bred  this  spring.  One  of  the  best 
ways  in  which  national  interest  in  pork  production 
can  be  stimulated  is  by  BANK  PIC.  CLU13S.  It  is 
our  suggestion  that  you  call  attention  of  your  mem- 
bership to  the  necessity  for  increased  pork  produc- 
tion and  urge  the  organization  of  pig  clubs  in  banks 
in  your  community.  Also  urge  your  members  to  cam- 
paign that  more  sows  be  bred,  tell  them  to  urge 
farmers  to  exercise  every  precaution  to  prevent  dis- 
ease and  to  feed  and  care  in  the  best  possible  way 
for  all  pigs  produced." 

One  of  our  large  packers  recently  said:  "Pork  and  pork  products 
are  almost  as  necessary  to  our  fighting  men  as  ammunition.  Increas- 
ing the  supply  of  pork  is  the  big  job  for  our  American  stockmen 
today." 

FARMERS'  RESPONSIBILITY. 

In  talking  to  your  farmer  friend  you  will  find  in  many  instances 
that  he  is  prone  to  resent  any  suggestions  regarding  his  business.  He 
has  some  reason  for  this  'tis  true.  We  know  that  his  work  is  hard 
and  that  his  hours  arc  long,  and  that  disease  and  weather  conditions 
can  soon  reduce  his  profits  to  a  minimum,  but  he  must  realize  that 
upon  him  rests  the  greatest  responsibility  and  the  greatest  task  that 
any  man  has  ever  known.  President  Wilson  in  his  appeal  to  the 
farmers  says:  ,kAt  the  present  moment  it  is  our  plain  duty  to  take 
adequate  steps  that  not  only  our  own  people  be  fed,  but  that  we  may, 
if  possible,  answer  the  call  for  food  of  other  nations  now  at  war.  In 
this  greatest  of  human  needs,  I  feel  that  the  American  farmer  will 
do  his  part  to  the  uttermost.  By  planting  and  increasing  his  produc- 
tion every  way  possible  every  farmer  will  perform  a  labor  of  patriot- 
ism for  which  he  will  be  recognized  as  a  soldier  of  the  commissary, 
adding  his  share  to  the  food  supply  of  the  people."  If  we  can  pre- 
vail on  the  farmer  to  raise  a  little  more  live  stock  and  a  few  more 
acres  of  crops,  and  interest  the  boys  and  girls  in  pig  clubs,  calf 
clubs,  and  sheep  clubs,  we  shall  have  accomplished  much  for  their 
own  good  and  at  the  same  time  we  shall  have  done  our  country  a 
valuable  service. 

CALF,  PIG,  AND  SHEEP  CLUBS. 

We  bankers  can  do  a  great  work  in  encouraging  the  young  people 
in  the  forming  of  the  above  clubs.    This  movement  will  be  found 


profitable  in  many  ways,  and  will  form  friendships  between  us  and 
these  young  people  that  will  eventually  develop  into  a  mutual  busi- 
ness relationship  helpful  to  both  us  and  them.  We  must  never  lose 
sight  of  the  fact  that  the  boys  of  today  are  the  business  men  of  to- 
morrow. Information  concerning  these  clubs  can  be  obtained  from 
the  Extension  Department  of  our  Agricultural  College  or  from  the 
office  of  that  splendid  paper,  THE  BANKER-FARMER,  published 
at  Champaign,  Illinois,  by  the  Agricultural  Commission  of  the  Amer- 
ican Hankers  Association.  We  wish  every  banker  in  our  State  would 
become  a  reader  of  this  paper.  It  is  your  publication  and  it  will 
broaden  you  in  your  work. 

TRYING  TIMES  FOR  OUR  NATION. 

Lastly,  we  must  not  forget  these  trying  times  for  our  Nation. 
We  who  can't  fight  must  use  our  best  efforts  to  produce,  economize, 
and  conserve.  Men  and  women  must  do  their  full  duty.  We  must 
realize  that  no  sacrifice  we  can  make  can  equal  the  one  those  brave 
boys  are  making.  We  must  do  everything  we  can  to  help  and  equip 
them  during  these  strenuous  days  of  their  service.  We  are  making 
this  appeal  for  them.  We  must  not  forget  that  the  morale  of  the 
soldiers  in  the  fighting  line  is  largely  governed  by  the  possible  free- 
dom of  their  food  supply.  We  are  not  sending  this  letter  as  alarmists, 
but  in  the  earnest  hope  that  wc  will  all  be  awake  to  our  responsibility 
every  minute  of  the  day. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

GEO.  A.  McCANSE, 
W.  J.  McGEE, 
J.  E.  SMITH. 
D'NEAN  STAFFORD, 
F.  B.  BRADY.  Chairman. 
Committee  on  Agricultural  and  Good  Roads  Development, 
MISSOURI  BANKERS  ASSOCIATION. 

Chillicothe,  Missouri, 
January  15,  1918. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/appealforproductOOmiss 


